As I was driving through Guatemala yesterday, I tried to think about how I could describe the differences to people. I came up with a couple of thoughts: Cement/Concrete and Earth.
Most of the homes/building are made out of cement. This looks different then the wood finish you find in the US – and the “Siding” on homes. On top of the homes – most look unfinished because there are “always plans” to build another level. Since the house is “unfinished”, they don’t have to pay as much in taxes.
When I say earth – I don’t mean dirt. Traveling through the countryside, it appears that some crops are being harvested, and others have just been planted. As a result, the earth is tilled. Not much grass and “wild land” around here. When you do see a lot of trees and wild plants – it’s because the mountain is too steep to plant anything on – or there was a landslide.
One more observation: Manual labor. The men working in the fields are working with their hands, shovels, and a large hoe. Construction workers are using hands, sweeping with brooms, and there are a lot of workers on a project. You see lots of people doing the hard physical labor. Then, there are the men and women who are carrying large bags, wood, boxes, and all sorts of things on their backs. I can’t help but think of how many of them would do well with a chiropractor here.
Well – Check back in this coming week to find out more. Perhaps I’ll post something on Security Guards – in Guatemala City you see a lot of them.
Until then – God Bless and pray for safety.
